Top 6 Websites for Finding Rental Homes

In today's digital age, prospective tenants, especially young adults aged 18 to 38, utilize multiple online platforms to discover rental properties nearby. Their familiarity with technology encourages landlords to list properties on various websites to maximize visibility and quickly fill vacancies with qualified renters. This article explores the most popular platforms for lease listings, providing detailed insights into each site's features to help renters and landlords connect efficiently.

Let's take a detailed look at these top websites:

Apartments.com
As a leading rental site, Apartments.com caters to both landlords and tenants, offering a seamless experience. It allows users to search by location, comparing townhomes, condos, houses, and apartments with advanced filters like size, ratings, move-in dates, and lifestyle preferences. Renters can explore amenities, prices, apply, sign leases, and make payments online. Landlords can manage listings, screen applicants, track maintenance, and handle payments easily.

Craigslist
This widely used marketplace attracts millions of monthly visitors, making it a popular choice despite risks of scam ads. Renters should exercise caution and verify listings to avoid fraudulent postings.

Zillow Rentals
Established in 2006, Zillow’s Rental Manager offers landlords tools to showcase properties with 3D tours, attracting more interest. Renters can filter searches by view types, like water or city views, and landlords can add detailed descriptions, images, and set rent prices. Zillow’s built-in screening options streamline tenant approvals, with a fee of $29 for renters applying to multiple listings, covering background and credit checks.

Rentals.com
Owned by RentPath, this platform covers all 50 states, focusing on first-time renters, especially millennials. It features extensive listings of townhomes, condos, single-family homes, and rent-to-own options, with filters and virtual tours that simplify the search process.

Avail
Primarily serving landlords, Avail simplifies property management with tools for screening tenants, background checks, and maintenance tracking. Listings are syndicated to partner sites for increased exposure, making it easier for owners to share their listings across social platforms, though the site has fewer listings itself.

Apartment Finder
As part of the Apartments.com family, Apartment Finder offers an easy-to-use interface for locating rental units. It provides filters for pet policies, amenities, and rent, with listings highlighting features for better visibility. Its contact info makes reaching out straightforward. Proper tenant screening remains essential to avoid eviction issues later.